Limiting device for roll printers

Abstract

A limiting device to prevent unwanted removal of paper from a paper or ticket printing and dispensing apparatus for paper roll printers, including paper cutter actuating means, positioned between a ticket dispensing exit and a cutting device to cut paper onto which printing has taken place and for controlling feeding of the paper and for controlling operation of the printer; activation of the cutting device is responsive to either an incompletely printed ticket or an action externally of said apparatus or to completion of any printing onto the ticket; a movable member or curved door is provided to more from a deactivation position to an activation position to control the operation of the paper cutter and the curved door is responsive to completion of a ticket printing operation or an occlusion at the dispensing exit or to a pre-set printing operation.

1. Apparatus for preventing unwanted removal of paper from a paper or paper ticket printing and dispensing apparatus for paper roll printers or responsive to an incompletely printed paper ticket due to an occlusion, wherein said apparatus is provided with:
 a paper roll for paper or providing the paper onto which printing is to take place, said apparatus including a ticket or paper dispensing exit having an opening for dispensing a completely printed ticket or paper and means for feeding paper from said paper roll to said ticket or paper dispensing exit; 
 a paper or ticket printer positioned between said paper roll and said ticket or paper dispensing exit for printing the ticket; 
 a paper or paper ticket cutter positioned between said paper or ticket printer and said ticket or paper dispensing exit for cutting the paper onto which ticket information is printed for forming thereof into individual tickets or vouchers; 
 a paper cutter actuating means and paper feeding means positioned between said ticket or paper dispensing exit and said paper ticket cutter for activation thereof to cut said paper onto which printing has taken place, and for controlling feeding of the paper from said paper roll and said paper or ticket printer and for controlling operation of said paper or ticket printer, said activation of said paper or paper ticket cutter to cut the paper being activated in response to either an incompletely printed ticket or in response to an action externally of said apparatus when there is either an occlusion or other interference at said ticket or paper dispensing exit for preventing said paper from exiting from said ticket or paper dispensing exit to prevent withdrawing the paper or pulling of a partially printed ticket or paper prior to completion of any printing onto said ticket or paper at the dispensing exit opening and in response to pre-setting of time for cutting a completely and correctly printed ticket or paper; 
 said paper cutter actuating means including a movable member associated with said paper or paper ticket cutter to cut a partially or incompletely printed ticket movable from a first or deactivation position at which said paper or paper ticket cutter does not cut the paper ticket or paper to a second or activation position to render said paper or paper ticket cutter operable for cutting the partially or incompletely printed paper ticket or paper in response to said external interference with the paper or ticket at said exit opening; and 
 said paper cutter actuating means also being responsive to a completion of a completely and correctly printed ticket in accordance with the pre-set time for a complete ticket printing operation in response to completion of an intended printing onto the paper ticket for cutting the completely printed paper ticket having the completed intended printing thereon to cut or sever the printed ticket from the paper roll whereby to permit and provide withdrawal of the completely printed ticket or voucher paper, after the ticket or paper is cut by said paper or paper ticket cutter, from said exit opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an activation means includes a pivotable door member having a pair of spaced ends, a first of said spaced ends being a free end and positioned at said exit opening and a second of said spaced ends being pivotally connected to a frame of said apparatus and positioned between said exit opening and proximate to said paper or ticket cutter, said pivotable door member being pivotable and movable relative to said frame of said dispensing apparatus for said deactivation of said paper or paper ticket cutter, signal forwarding means for sensing a signal in response to said external interference at said exit opening to send a signal to said paper or ticket printer to stop printing onto said paper and to activate said paper or paper ticket cutter to cut the ticket before the ticket or paper has been fully and completely printed to prevent bunching of paper from said paper roll or a partially printed ticket at the exit opening. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said signal forwarding means includes a switch activated in response to said pivotal door member being moved and pivoted in a direction relative to said switch for activation thereof, and said switch upon activation forwards a signal through said signal forwarding means to said paper or ticket cutter for activating said paper or ticket cutter to render said paper or ticket cutter operative for cutting said partially printed paper or ticket and deactivation of said paper feeding means when complete printing onto said ticket or paper has taken place. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said signal forwarding means includes a sensor responsive to movement of said pivotable door member to deactivate said printing device and to activate said paper or ticket cutter to cut said paper or partially printed ticket. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , including spring holding means having one end connected with said frame and another end fixed to an underside of said pivotable door member for maintaining said pivotable door member in a non-activating or non-operating position, and said spring holding means being responsive to the external interference with said paper at said exit opening during operation of a ticket printing operation as a partially printed ticket passes over said pivotable door member moving towards said exit opening overcoming said spring tension or pulling on the underside of said door pivotable member to permit movement of said pivotable door member to its fully extended position for activation of said signal forwarding means to deactivate said paper feeding means and to stop said paper or ticket printer and to sever the paper of the partially printed ticket, thereby preventing bunching of paper at said exit opening. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , including a cable coupled with said signal forwarding means and said paper or ticket printer and said paper or ticket cutter for transmitting the signal to said paper or ticket printer and to said paper or ticket cutter upon activation in response to the movement of said pivotal door member when said spring holding means causes said pivotable door member to be pivotable upon release of a tension or pulling placed onto said pivotable door member. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said pivotable door member is an external arm cover forming part of said apparatus. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including signal means, responsive to said external interference at said exit opening, for sensing a signal and for sending another signal to paper or ticket printer to stop said paper or ticket from printing onto said paper and for activating paper or ticket from cutting the ticket before the ticket or paper has been fully and completely printed for preventing bunching of the paper from said paper roll at the exit opening during a continuing operation of the paper or ticket. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said movable member is a pivotable door member providing for an external arm cover for said apparatus. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including a cable coupled with a signal forwarding means and said paper or ticket printer and said paper or ticket cutter for transmitting a signal to said paper or ticket printer and to said paper or ticket cutter upon activation in response to the movement of said pivotable door member when said spring holding means causes said pivotable door member to be pivoted upon release of tension or pulling placed onto said pivotable door member by causes external of said apparatus. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including a switch activated in response to said movable member being moved and pivoted in a direction relative to said switch for activation thereof, and said switch upon activation forwards a signal to said paper or ticket cutter and said paper or ticket printer for activating said paper or ticket cutter to render said paper or ticket cutter operative for cutting said partially printed paper or ticket and deactivation of said paper feeding means. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including a sensor responsive to movement of said movable member to deactivate said paper or ticket printer and to activate paper or ticket cutter to cut said paper or partially printed ticket. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including spring holding means having one end connected with a frame of the apparatus and another end fixed to an underside of said movable member for maintaining said movable member in a non-activating or non-operating position, and said spring holding means being responsive to the external interference with said paper at said exit opening during operation of the ticket printing operation as a partially printed ticket passes over said movable member moving towards a ticket printing operation exit overcoming a spring tension or pulling on the underside of said movable member to permit movement of said movable member to its fully extended position for activation of a signal forwarding means to deactivate said paper feeding means and to stop said paper or ticket printer and to sever the paper of the partially printed ticket, thereby to prevent bunching of paper at said exit opening. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , including: a curved door forming part of said movable member; fixing means for said curved door, said curved door having one end connected to a frame for associating said curved door with said frame and being equipped with underlying springs, connected to said frame; said curved door having its other end forming a free part and cooperating with said paper or ticket cutter and paper feeding means responsive to movement or rotation of said curved door about a pair of pins at said one end; a switch positioned on the frame and in contact with said curved door; and a cable for connecting said switch to said paper or ticket cutter for cutting of the printed ticket in response to tension of the paper. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , including a sensor positioned on said frame for activation of said paper or ticket cutter.